My Past, Your Future, Our Destiny
by SeaMar
Summary: When Harry left after the war he didn't tell anyone where he was going. When Ginny finds him he's forced to confess. Soon, what started out as a meeting betweeen two old friends becomes an adventure neither one could have anticipated or prepared for. HBP
1. Hello Stranger

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter. Don't sue.

**STOP if you have not read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: **This fic contains definite spoilers from the sixth Harry Potter book. If you haven't read that book yet I would strongly advise you to turn back now and cover your eyes! I don't want any flames telling me how I ruined the plot for you (happened to me when OoTP came out). You have been warned!

**Updates will be sporadic. No telling when a new one might pop up.**

**Emma**

**Chapter One**

Hello Stranger 

" – no the one with the wedding ring on her finger, but I like the way you're thinking!"

Ginny Weasley harrumphed in disgust as the men at her table burst into raucous laughter at the dirty joke.

She didn't want to be here. No, she didn't want to be here at all. She would much rather have preferred to be back home at the Burrow or her own flat, but, fate had had other plans.

As her luck would have it Ginny was in all actuality sitting squeezed between what seemed like a never-ending stream of robust businessmen in the center of a large group dinner table at one of the nicest restaurants in America. Not the ideal situation at all.

It didn't help that all of Ginny's traveling companions ranged in extreme levels of intoxication as muggle wine, it appeared, was much stronger than Madam Rosmerta's mead. Not that Ginny had ever really had a taste for either to begin with.

Ginny couldn't help but brood silently to herself about her predicament. She understood why she had been asked to come, certainly, but that still didn't mean she had to enjoy it.

"Would you like the check now?" A soft voice asked next to Ginny's ear. Startling slightly she turned her head around marginally to see a young woman holding a small black leather case.

"Yes. I'll pay up at the front." Ginny said. She waited a few moments before the waitress had strolled back up to the register before carefully slipping a credit card away from the man she had been sitting next to. The way she saw it, if she had to endure them for Merlin only knew how much longer, then they would have to at least foot the bills.

- - - - -

Again, Ginny wished she could be somewhere else. Preferably somewhere very far away from where she currently was, which happened to be a stuffy boardroom filled with the same group as the night before. Only this time they were very much hung over.

Ginny straightened herself when she heard the office door click open and tried her best to look reassuring to the small woman who had appeared before the long panel of people.

"Please take a seat." Ginny said, motioning for the woman to sit. The girl did as she was told. "Let me apologize in advance for my colleagues." Ginny snapped as she kicked a large blonde-haired man who had been falling asleep next to her sharply in the shin. "They had a rough night last night." The girl smiled understandingly.

"It's okay." She whispered almost inaudibly, staring down fixedly at her lap.

"Name." Ginny requested.

"Corrigan Maultie." Corrigan answered shyly.

"Excellent," Ginny said, clapping her hands together. She wasn't all that excited, but pretended for the sake of easing up the timid girl who sat before her presently. "I have your file right here, we can start with the questions." Ginny continued, pulling a file towards her and flipping it open to reveal the cover page. "Now, tell me what makes you qualified to take up the teaching post of Potions master at Hogwarts?"

After everything that had happened in Ginny's fifth year it was not surprising to find that the following years had been full of trials and tribulations. After finding out in the last weeks leading up to the end of the summer that Hogwarts would indeed re-open to students Ginny had set off for her sixth year. She had been glad to go, not only to get away from her mothers fits of hysteria and her fathers increasing strictness, but because she had not wanted to remain dormant at the Burrow when she had a life to live.

She needn't have worried about staying dormant, though, as she spent most of her free time worrying her head off of Harry, Ron and Hermione who she had been confided to, were running after Horcruxes and Death Eaters. She had even, on a few occasions, begged them to let her go on their missions as well, but had been given a firm 'no' from both Harry and Ron who seemed keen on playing one big brother built into two. Very annoying.

It had continued on through her seventh year, and when Ginny finally graduated it was to be met only a few months later with the final battle. Unsurprisingly to many who knew the fixation Harry had grown after Dumbledore's death, he conquered the dark lord along with Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape. Not that many people really minded.

But, casualties to the light had been endured as well, as was unavoidable in a war like setting. Professor Slughorn had been hit with quite a few unforgivables landing him in a hospital bed adjacent from Gilderoy Lockhart's in the mental ward at Mungo's. Professor Trelawney had lost a leg after stumbling onto the battlefield clutching tightly to a bottle of cooking sherry and declaring that she had foreseen the coming of the ultimate battle on that very day, only to be hit by a nasty severing charm on her right thigh. A countless number of the order had perished, alongside many muggles and innocents who were not involved in the fighting. It had been quite the scene, dark and terrible as it had all been.

And, it seemed, as a result of actions held in Ginny's fifth year that now two job positions seemed to hold a rumor of being cursed in the general community. The positions of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, and Potions Master, to be exact.

That was why Ginny found herself here listening to Corrigan Maultie's life history surrounding both children and potions at the moment. It was her job, as an appointed representative of Hogwarts teaching staff, along with the schools board of directors to recruit new applicants. However, their search in Britain had not gone as planned as it seemed that there was no witch or wizard who dared take the task upon themselves anymore. So, they had been forced to look for options outside of the country. Yet, it had been even harder to find foreign wizards who cleared all preliminary security tests and seemed like they would be able to handle a class room as they had nothing to judge these individuals on but a resume and a muggle Polaroid photograph.

"Thank you." Ginny smiled politely as she ran out of questions and Corrigan stopped mumbling. "You certainly seem qualified, but we'll have to discuss it formally. We'll contact you."

Corrigan left the office looking much more confident than when she had entered.

"I say we hire her and get back across the pond." Grunted a man who had just snapped back into reality from his daydream. He most likely had not even been paying attention to the interview.

"Absolutely not." Ginny said sternly. "She's qualified, yes, and there's nothing in her background that may suggest – "

"Then why not hire her!" A beefy man said, interrupting her.

"Because she's as meek as a mouse and there would be no way in the world that she could handle a group of kids who would rather think about who they're going to snog next Hogsmeade trip than the subjects they're studying." Ginny said loudly, glaring at the man defiantly.

"Fine!" He said, throwing his arms up in defeat. "But you can be the one to tell the parents why they don't have any professors next term. At the rate you're going we'll never get enough people crazy enough to take the posts!"

"I'd rather have no one teaching a post than someone who isn't suited to teach." Ginny snapped back hotly.

"This is why I don't think women should be involved in these matters." The man continued on, completely oblivious to the warning signs some of his colleagues were sending him. "Women just can't take the options they've got in front of them. Always pining for more, that's all they do!"

"Excuse me?" Ginny said, her voice dangerously quiet.

"I think you heard me just fine. You're young enough not to have hearing problems. Or, do you just want to complain more? I bet that's it, isn't it! I knew – " But before the man could say what he knew his face was being attacked by an impressive collection of bat bogies and Ginny was already storming to the door.

"Where are you going?" One of the more reasonable men in the group asked.

"Out." Ginny replied coolly.

"You can't do that, we've got more interviews to do!" The man said in outrage.

"I don't really care." Ginny said, "I'm tired of doing all the work, it's about time some of you big, strong _men,_" She took a moment to glare heatedly at every person in turn, "carried some of your own weight. Lord knows you're all too fat for me to handle."

She left the men gaping behind her, feeling no remorse at all that she was walking out on a day planned with meetings and appointments. Those dunderheads had it coming.

Raising her head just a little higher in the air she stormed to the first building she saw once she had reached the outside; a coffee shop. Not stopping to read any of the signs or advertisements in the windows she pushed her way bodily through the glass door, ignored the quiet glances of the other customers, and planted herself firmly at the end of the line.

She was quite pleased (once she had calmed down enough to gaze around the small shop) to notice that the shop had a nice assortment of tea. Ginny had never fancied coffee much.

Finally, after what seemed forever as the middle-aged woman who had stood in front of Ginny had kept changing her mind and muttering things around the lines of 'triple grand chocolate' 'wet cappuccino' 'frothy, but not foamy', it was time to order.

"I'll have your largest cup of chamomile tea." Ginny said once she had reached the counter, thankful that she had thought ahead to transfer some of her galleons into muggle money.

"Right." An annoying girl who kept snapping a piece of gum and jabbing buttons on the register said distractedly.

Ginny watched with interest as a team of around four people took turns marking a cup filling it with water, and – "We're out of chamomile!" One of the people called into a back room. "Bring out another case."

No longer very interested Ginny took to glaring at her clenched hands and wished that they were wrapped tightly around one of her associates necks. Perfectly normal thoughts, really.

So, she did not notice the man's voice that called back out of the storeroom, nor did she notice a mop of untidy black hair as it bobbed through the already teeming sea of employees, and she definitely didn't take the time to glance at whoever had finally handed her the drink. She was just glad to be away from that boardroom.

"Ginny?" A familiar voice asked in astonishment. Looking up quickly her face split into a grin.

"Harry!" She squealed louder than she probably have should have as a handful of people looked up to glare at her for the second time only to mutter on about rude people.

"I didn't know you were coming out here." He said, hopping across the counter.

"Yeah, well I didn't know you lived here." Ginny retorted, but the smile on her face overshadowed any harshness of her tones.

"I like to keep it that way." Harry said with a wink.

"That you do." Ginny agreed.

"Let's go take a seat, unless of course, you mind." He said, trailing off into a slightly apprehensive voice.

"Since when have I minded?" Asked Ginny.

Harry smiled and led Ginny to a quiet corner table.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" Harry asked once they were comfortable.

"Hogwarts business." Ginny answered. "It's a long story that involves cursed job openings, world travel, and a slew of thick headed men."

"Just the usual, eh?" Harry said lightly. "What are you doing at Hogwarts?"

"I – well, I took Flitwick's position." Ginny said carefully.

"You teach charms?" Harry asked, a hint of shock evident. Ginny nodded. "At Hogwarts?" Ginny answered with another nod. "Aren't you a bit young?"

"After everything – they just needed people to fill the spots." Ginny said quietly, fiddling with her napkin.

"I see." Harry said pensively.

"But – how are you doing?" Ginny said, hoping to change the subject onto better things.

"Oh, well I'm working here," He waved at the coffee shop, "Obviously. And I'm taking classes at the University."

"Oh? What type of classes?"

"Psychology." Harry answered quickly, and with passion. "Its really interesting stuff. It talks about why people do things. Not just the how, but the _why_."

"That would be interesting." Ginny said, letting her mind drift slowly back over the times she had wished she had known why people did what they did.

"Yeah." Harry said, his voice holding a wistful note. He leant back in his chair, a content smile attached to his face and studied Ginny speculatively.

"What?" Ginny asked, somewhat warily.

"Ask me why somebody does something and I'll tell you." Harry said, with an extra sparkle to his smile.

"Okay." Ginny said thoughtfully, "Why do – some men think they're better than women?"

"Because they fear weakness, they try to hide powerlessness, and they have a need to win."

"You sound like you copied that out of a text book." Ginny said, taking a sip of her tea.

"So what if I did?" Harry asked.

"People aren't textbooks." Ginny said, meeting Harry's gaze steadily. "Everyone's different."

"Of course." Harry said, his mood definitely seeming to darken. "But that's a generic case."

They fell into a slightly uneasy silence after that, both taking turns to look at each other when they were positive the other one's mind was on something else.

"Please don't tell them I'm here." Harry said, finally breaking the silence.

"Why shouldn't they know?"

"I just want things to stay the same." Harry answered simply. "I don't want to have to face them."

"There's no reason not to face them." Ginny said, looking at Harry defiantly. "You didn't do anything terrible or horrible. You didn't say or do something stupid. There's no reason to exile yourself like this."

"I haven't exiled myself." Harry countered.

"What do you call running off to America and refusing to tell anyone where you are?" Ginny argued.

"I still keep contact with everyone." Harry continued, "I still send letters and come up for visits every now and then."

"You haven't visited for at least four years now." Ginny pointed out.

"Things, things – they came up, okay?" Harry said, his voice sounding desperate. "Some stuff out of my control happened and I've been dealing with it for those four years. It's not that I didn't want to go and see everyone."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I had things to keep me busy."

"What type of things?"

"Things!" Harry exclaimed.

"Fine, don't tell me." Ginny said, crossing her hands across her chest in a challenge.

"I won't then." Harry sputtered.

"Well, if you're going to be anti-social I think it would be better if I just let you be. Seeing as how you obviously have _things_ to deal with!"

"Yeah, maybe I do."

"See you in another four years." Ginny said, her voice resigned before she pushed her chair back away from the table and stood up abruptly. She didn't turn around or pause to look at Harry's reaction, nor did she care to.

If he was going to be pig-headed and stubborn then he could just be that way by himself.

Men were just so _stupid._ That was the thought that kept running through Ginny's head as she stomped around on the curb between the humble coffee shop and the large business office trying to think of who was worse. Her chauvinistic male counterparts or Harry. What did it matter anyway? It all just boiled down to how _stupid_ they all were.

"Yeah, Harry." Ginny mumbled to herself through clenched teeth as she opted to head back to the boardroom. "Why don't you analyze this for me?" She kicked the door hard before yanking it open and barreling inside. _Stupid men._

_-- - - - --- --_

**AN:** I just finished reading HBP and pounded out this first chapter as fast I could, for I was teeming with ideas you see! Was it just me or was anybody disappointed by the length of the new book?

Anywho….HARRY AND GINNY PREVAILED! (sort of…but we allknow it will turn out okay in the end. Right? Right?

Anyways, this first chapter is short, can't think of what much else to say in it, the little it contained just had to be said. They'll get longer from here on out. I pinky promise.


	2. When Things Go South

**My Past, Your Future, Our Destiny**

**Chapter Two**

_**When Things Go South**_

If Ginny had hated her colleagues before her impromptu meeting with Harry, then she absolutely loathed them now. It didn't help that she was keen to snap at anyone the second they approached her. But, her behavior wasn't entirely her fault, she reasoned. After all, it was quite a shock to the system to see your old love interest for the first time in four years when you had only been expecting a cup of tea.

So, she was perfectly justified in her actions. Perhaps, she had been a bit harsh with a few of the applicants, but those types of things couldn't be helped.

As much as Ginny wanted to hate Harry for dismissing her so eloquently when she had seen him at the coffee house she found herself casting covert looks out of the window of the boardroom hoping to see a mop of black hair bobbing about in the crowds below. So far she hadn't spotted it.

She tried to tell herself it was only because she was mad. Or possibly that she was suffering from a severe case of overwork. So, it must have been because of her case of overwork that she had found herself in the coffee house only a few days after she had sworn she would never return. But, she was only there to get a cup of tea, of course.

The fact that she kept leaning over her shoulder to see if Harry was taking orders behind the counter meant nothing.

As the amount of time Ginny found herself stuck in America with no solid applicants for the open teaching positions at Hogwarts moved from days to weeks she found herself becoming increasingly volatile. Maybe a little bored, too.

So, instead of going to lunch with her colleagues Ginny sauntered confidently over to the coffee shop. She wanted to talk to Harry.

"Is Harry Potter working here today?" Ginny asked the woman manning the register.

"Nope." The girl said lazily.

"Do you know when he'll be in?"

"He quit." Said the girl, her eyes fixed on an attractive man that had just walked through the door.

Ginny felt a combination of shock and regret at those words. Harry wasn't supposed to just up and leave. That would only make her job harder.

"Do you know where he went?" Ginny asked, having to speak loudly to keep the cashiers attention.

"We're not allowed to give out that type of information."

"Oh." Ginny mumbled.

So days continued to go by. Applicants continued to stream through the office doors; none worth hiring. And Ginny felt her tolerance levels ebbing away at an increasingly alarming rate.

So then, logically, it really wasn't her fault when she stormed out of her office building after a heated argument for the second time during the entire trip. These things just _happened._

And so it was as Ginny was storming around in a local park that she came to a startling discovery. She didn't just want to talk to Harry; she needed to. It was simple really, she thought triumphantly. Because, obviously, once she talked to Harry she would be able to put the past behind her. She would be able to understand why he had left. She could forgive him and just move on.

So, she returned to the coffee shop.

"I need to talk to Harry Potter." Said Ginny with more confidence than she felt to the man behind the counter.

"He doesn't work here anymore."

"So I've been told." Ginny said quietly, "But, you see, I'm his sister – and, well, there's been a death in the family. I don't know how to locate Harry – he never gave us an address – but it really is important that I find him."

The man looked at her skeptically for a few minutes, drumming his fingertips against the countertop, before he sighed and produced a piece of paper. He scribbled down a few lines before handing it over to Ginny.

"Thanks, I really appreciate this." Ginny said, trying to remain somber under the pretenses of the supposed family 'death.'

"Yeah, just don't tell him it was me that gave it to you. He's really anal about his privacy." Grumbled the man before he switched his attention off of Ginny.

Knowing she was being dismissed, Ginny left the coffee shop as fast as she could.

She weaved through street corners and exotically named avenues looking down every so often to check the hastily scribbled address. Until finally, she found it.

Harry's building was attractive. Located on a quiet street, it was a stone structure with trails of ivy ghosting around window frames and a large brass door. Ginny sighed happily – she had accomplished her mission.

A few minutes later she found herself facing a door with **_3C_** pasted onto the wood. Taking one last deep breath, she steadied herself, and knocked.

And Harry answered.

"What are you doing here?" Harry demanded.

"I came to see you." Said Ginny carefully. "I wanted to talk to you about a few things."

"Ginny – right now isn't exactly the best time." Said Harry. He sounded a tad frantic.

"Listen," Ginny ordered, her patience completely gone. "you disappeared for four years and I want to know why."

"I've written." Harry said, his voice low.

"But, you've never written with an explanation. Which is what I want."

"Okay." Harry said, leaning heavily against the doorstop. "Can we talk somewhere else? How about we get something to eat?" He made to shut the door and slip out of the apartment but was prevented by Ginny's foot in the door.

"Why not just talk here?" Ginny asked quietly, trying to get past Harry and see into the apartment.

"No." Harry practically shouted. "I mean, we can't." He added gently after seeing Ginny's raised eyebrow.

"What are you hiding?" Asked Ginny, her eyes narrowed and her voice low.

"Nothing." Harry mumbled.

"Nothing?" Ginny asked skeptically. "If it's nothing then why can't I go into your flat?"

Harry took in a shaky breath, his eyes meeting Ginny's firmly.

"Ginny, I left for a reason. I stayed away for a reason. I don't want to tell you why for a _reason._ Let it go."

"Do you want me to just leave then?" Ginny said impatiently, her voice snappy.

"No." Harry sighed. "I don't want you to go. I like seeing you."

"Then let me inside so we can have a visit." Ginny said defiantly.

"You're not going to give up, are you?" Harry asked harshly.

"No."

"Well you're not getting into the apartment."

"Why not?" Ginny snapped.

"Merlin Gin, you're going around in circles. Just let it drop." Harry snarled.

"Fine. I'll just let it _drop_ as you so deftly put it, somewhere else. Somewhere that isn't – HERE!" Ginny said loudly, fumbling with her words.

Before Harry could answer Ginny had fled down the stairs.

She wanted an explanation. She needed an explanation. And, if Harry was going to be stubborn and not tell her now, then she would just come back later. But, she certainly wasn't going to sit back and let him act immature about it.

She ripped the front door in the lobby open, not pausing to listen to the doorman's cry of surprise. Ginny didn't stop her exit until she had reached the quiet street outside of the apartment building. She paused, letting her hands drop to her knees, panting, trying to catch her breath.

"You want to know what?" A loud voice interrupted the calm. Ginny whipped around to see a livid Harry standing a few feet away from her. He had followed her downstairs.

"What?" Ginny snapped.

"You're the immature one out of the pair of us." Harry said, pointing an accusing finger. "You're the one who came barreling up to _my _house demanding that I let you in and tell you all my secrets. You're the one who's disrespecting _me._"

"Well, excuse me for worrying about you." Said Ginny, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "I spent four years wondering where you were. Hermione spent four years waiting to see you again. Ron's been waiting four years for you to come home and play a game of Quidditch with him. I was only worried."

"I can't do those things anymore."

"And why the bloody hell not?" Ginny shrieked into the night.

"Because the past doesn't take precedent in my life anymore, Gin. Because I have responsibilities in my life that you can't even begin to fathom. I have to think about the future if I want to survive!" Harry growled.

"You can't have a future without a past." Ginny said stonily. "You of all people should understand that."

"I understand it perfectly." Said Harry defensively. "But you shouldn't let your past rule your future, either."

"You're just angry because of the way things turned out." Said Ginny. "I don't blame you. Those last years were awful, but you can't run away. You CANNOT change the past Harry, but you CANNOT forget about it."

"You already said that!"

"Well it doesn't seem to be registering with your THICK skull."

"I'm not the one being thick here."

"Oh, I think you may be mistaken there Mister Boy Wonder."

"Fine. You know what? Fine. You're right." Harry said coolly, stalking forward until he was only standing a few inches away from Ginny. "Maybe sometimes I want to change the past. Maybe sometimes I look back on my life and all I see is pain, death and suffering with a few falsely cheerful moments mixed in. Maybe sometimes I wish I didn't have a past."

"You think you're the only one?" Ginny said back slowly, matching Harry's threatening tone. "You think that I liked the way things turned out?"

"Sometimes, yes, I do." Said Harry, devoid of any expression.

Ginny froze at his words, her heart pounding madly in her chest and her face rising in heat and anger. Memories flashed before her eyes in rapid succession – pain, pain, pain, pain…

"I'd change my past in a heartbeat if I was given the chance." Ginny growled.

"Yeah, well then that makes two of us." Said Harry darkly, his face showing no signs of warmth or understanding.

It was at that moment that things began to go southwards. Neither Ginny nor Harry noticed the brilliant white light that was speeding towards them. Neither of them registered what it meant until there was no chance of moving.

But, both of them felt it.

Both of them felt the car collide into them – sickening crunches to accompany the screaming horn.

- - - - -

Ginny groaned as she regained consciousness, bringing a hand up to massage her pounding head.

And with a jolt she remembered how that pain had come to be.

Sitting up quickly Ginny jerked around until she laid eyes on a mess of black hair and a bloodied body next to her.

"Harry?" Ginny whispered, feeling her eyes fill with tears when he didn't answer her call.

Moving slowly and shakily Ginny maneuvered herself so that Harry's head was in her lap. Resting her back on a tree nearby Ginny let the tears fall as she held Harry's body close to her.

"Wake up." She said, her voice breaking. "I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry…"

"OI!" A voice called from somewhere nearby. Ginny didn't care to notice where the voice had come from, but remained tight with her hold on Harry. A pair of rushing feet reached her ears before another voice joined the first.

"What happened?" Ginny sensed someone kneeling in front of her but didn't move her head to meet the speaker's eyes. "Are you alright?" The voice asked again, sounding a bit more panicked.

Ginny felt her breath catch in her throat again as a fresh wave of tears cascaded down her face. She knew she was trembling but she didn't care.

"Get Remus." One of the voices said.

That caught Ginny's attention. Where was Remus? She didn't know that he was in America.

"Remus." Ginny whispered. "I want to see Remus."

"Do you know him?" The voice asked from above her.

Ginny felt herself nodding.

"Alright." The voice said, laying a hand on Ginny's arm carefully. "Who's your friend? Can you tell me?"

"He's hurt." Ginny whispered, her head lolling in front of her.

"Yes. Can you tell me why?"

"Car."

"Can you let me take him? Can you let me see him? I can make him feel better if you let me take him from you." The voice continued on.

Ginny felt a shiver rush down her spine at the thought of someone removing Harry to a place where she didn't know how he was.

"I'll keep him right next to you." The voice said reassuringly, as if sensing Ginny's trepidation.

Slowly, she relinquished her grip.

"We'll just roll him over and get a good look at his face." The voice told Ginny. By now she had wiped some of the tears out of her eyes and propped her head up. Her vision still slightly obscured Ginny was able to register that their rescuer was a man.

"It was a car." Ginny said quietly.

"I know." The voice said kindly. "We'll help him. I'll just turn him over now."

Ginny heard the shifting of what sounded to be leaves followed by a large gasp.

"James?" The voice breathed in horror.

"No." Said Ginny weakly, hearing the declaration. "Harry." She smiled slightly at herself, glad she could correct the man.

"That's not Harry." The voice said frantically. "It can't be."

"'Course is." Ginny slurred.

"No. It can't be." The voice repeated.

"'S Harry." Ginny sighed before she let her eyes droop closed slowly. She was so tired…

- - - - - -

Ginny awoke the second time to much more desirable circumstances.

She sighed in content, momentarily forgetting her troubles, as a soft hand caressed her forehead.

"Feels nice." Ginny mumbled.

"I'm glad." A woman's voice answered.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"No."

"Mum?"

"Don't think so."

"Who?"

"Lily." The voice answered softly.

Ginny snapped her eyes open and looked into the gentle face of a woman with deep red hair and bright green eyes.

"No." Ginny whispered, shaking her head back and forth violently. "You can't be her."

"Stop that." Lily scolded lightly, taking Ginny's head tenderly in her hands and holding it still. "And why can't I be her?" She asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Because – you're dead." Said Ginny, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

This had to be a horrible dream. It _had_ to be. There was no other way to explain it. There was no way that Ginny could be sitting on a bed with Harry's late mother. Those types of things simply weren't possible.

Ginny watched closely as 'Lily's' eyes widened and her smirk dropped from her face quickly.

"What did you say?" A harsh voice asked from the doorway. Ginny turned her head and felt her shock double as she stared at a carbon copy of Harry. Except it wasn't Harry. "What did you say?" James Potter repeated.

"James, hush." Lily scolded.

"No. She said you're dead." James said, his tone was menacing. "Something's going on here."

"Brilliant deduction." Lily mumbled.

"Lils, how can you be so calm about this?" James asked disbelievingly.

"James, be quiet, now." Said Lily, leaving no room for objection. James withered under her glare. "The girl's been in an accident. She might just be suffering from trauma. Why don't you help Sirius go de-gnome the garden if you're so intent on causing trouble."

James moved to protest but one last look from Lily sent him storming from the room muttering obscenities under his breath.

"You just rest." Lily said, turning her attention back onto Ginny, smoothing the bedcovers down. "You've had quite a time of it."

"How's Harry?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"He's sleeping." Lily answered.

"Where?" Ginny asked, squirming about to see if she could find him in the room.

"It's okay, he's in his crib."

"Harry doesn't sleep in a crib." Ginny said, pausing to look at Lily like she had gone insane. "Why would he do that?"

"Because, he's a baby."

"No he's not." Ginny protested. "He's not a baby. He's twenty one."

"Maybe we're speaking of different Harry's." Lily said, her voice remaining calm but her hands smoothing the blankets down with more force. "I'm sure there's more than one person in all of England with that name."

"But we're not in England." Ginny said, observing Lily with a bemused expression. "We're in America."

"Oh?" Lily questioned lightly. "Why are we in America?"

"Because I'm the Charms teacher at Hogwarts." Ginny began to explain. "And because nobody wants Snape's old job or the Defense Against the Dark Arts post I had to go and look at people to hire. And I found Harry there working in a coffee shop. He lives there, I suppose. I don't know, I haven't seen him for four years. He's so immature about it. He won't tell me anything. It's worse than after he killed Voldemort."

Lily's hands stopped smoothing the blankets.

"What did you just say?" Lily asked, her voice shaking.

"Everyone knows about that." Ginny sighed, feeling her mind slip slowly into a state of delirious obliviousness. "The Prophet told everyone about the prophecy. Harry was so mad." Ginny said thoughtfully, feeling her train of thought latch onto long repressed memories. "It just made him feel guilty for Sirius all over again."

"Sirius?" Lily whispered, her voice sounded as if each word was causing her intense pain.

"He died." Ginny said simply. "Everyone just…died."

"He what?"

"I'm tired"

"I need you to explain that to me, dear. What happened to Sirius?"

"My head feels funny."

"We'll get you something to soothe it if you can just tell me what happened to Sirius."

But Lily's requests were all in vain as Ginny felt her hold on reality ebbing away swiftly. It would be nice just to sleep a little more…

- - - -

A/N: Sorry about the wait. I had the first chapter done but I needed some time to sort where everything needed to be headed for the story to continue.

You may have noticed that the title and summary of this story have also changed since chapter one. This is because I combined the plot for the storyline of **_Emma_** with the storyline of my first fanfic. I kind of braided them together- hence the wait.

Thanks for all your lovely responses. I truly appreciate them.


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